5992 



Zoological Society. 



collection of the British Museum, by Dr. Gray. The species was characterized under 

 the name of Milylia Gerrardi. 



The Secretary also read a paper, by the same author, on the bosch-vark (Potamo' 

 chcerus africanus) living in the Society's Gardens. Some doubt having been expressed 

 as to the distinctness of the painted pig of the Cameroons from the bosch-vark of the 

 Cape, it was with great pleasure Dr. Gray was enabled to examine a living specimen 

 of the latter, and he is quite convinced that any one who examines the two living 

 animals, as they are placed side by side in the Gardens, cannot fail to be satisfied with 

 the distinctness of the species, independent of any variation that may occur in the 

 ground-colour of the individual. 



The Chairman read some notes on a collection of birds received by M. Verreaux, 

 of Paris, from the Rio Napo, in the Republic of Eguador, and stated that, although 

 several small collections of birds had been already received in Europe from this lo- 

 cality (one of which he had formerly brought before the notice of the Society), the 

 present was larger and of a more interesting nature, embracing no less than 170 spe- 

 cies, at least 20 of which appeared to be undescribed. The most noticeable objects 

 were two Tanagers, which seemed not only generically but specifically different from 

 anything hitherto known, and which were characterized as Creurgops verticalis and 

 Eucha3tes coccineus, — a fine series of Formicariidse, embracing 33 species, of which 

 several appeared to be undescribed, — and a new form belonging to the peculiar South- 

 American family Pteroptochidae, for which the name Agathopus micropterus was pro- 

 posed. The Chairman stated that M. Jules Verreaux had previously examined and 

 labelled the birds of this collection, and that the greater part of the new appellations 

 were adapted from his MS. 



The Chairman also called the attention of the Society to a very scarce parrot 

 lately acquired for the Menagerie, and of which only one other specimen was known, 

 formerly living in the Zoological Gardens at Amsterdam, and now in their Museum. 

 This was the Eclectus Cornelia of Prince Bonaparte. 



Tuesday, February 9, 1858.— Dr. Gray, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary read a paper * On the Characters of four Species of Bats inhabiting 

 Europe and Asia, and the Description of a new Vespertilio inhabiting Madagascar,* 

 by R. F. Tomes, Esq. After some lengthened remarks on the characters of the fol- 

 lowing species, viz. Vespertilio emarginatus, Horsf., V. formosa, Hodgs,, V. rufo-pictus, 

 Waterh., and V. Pearsonii, Horsf., the paper concluded by describing a new species 

 from Madagascar, which was characterized under the name of Vespertilio madagas- 

 cariensis. 



Mr. Gould exhibited to the meeting British specimens of the Motacilla flava of 

 Ray, which had been shot by Mr. Thirtle, of Lowestoft. 



Mr. Gould also called the attention of the meeting to three beautiful specimens 

 of Steller's duck, which had been brought for exhibition by Mr. Stevens. 



The Secretary read a paper by M. Deshayes, on new shells from the collections of 

 Mr. Cuming and himself, in which were descriptions of 75 new species of the genus 

 Terebra. 



Dr. Gray read a paper ' On a New Genus of Mytilidae, and on some distorted 

 forms which occur among Bivalve Shells.' 



